Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-19
: PERU'S EXPOSITION.
SCENES IN THE STREETS OF THE
CITY OF The KINGS"
Houses OF the Peruvian CapitaI-Lima's
Poorer Ciasses-Iron Barred Windows
Everywhere-TropicaI Plant. of the Ea-
position-Chiiians' Destructiv-n-ss.

observation-disclosures Plant. ,f The r.,
,o.,,,,,-C,u,.,.. ,,;
Passing over one of the Rimac'S tribu-
tarieS we enter and pass through the on,
skirts of Lima and StOp beneath IN. coy
cred station where, alighting. find my
self amid some of the strange, and inter
eStiug sights of the haudsomest CITY in
all South America The houses that
lined the streets on either side. fairly
teeming with life. seemed inuumerablr
and stood 50 closely that their roofs
touched There is no space around the
Lmeno'S residence for the yard-thouph
many have small, square courts within.
more or less unattractiye-hut we miss
the grass plots. tiowerbeds and gravel
walks which enhance the appearance of
our American homes so much. Gardens.
however appear here and there along the
streetS-inyariably. i. not public rb,.
property Of the upper rclassas-surrounded
by the ever present adobe wall. which
detrac;s much from their natural beauty
Yet mud j. q very important factor in
Limeno architecture; deprived of il. the
city would he but an unsiShtly mass of
ruins. Over one half of the houses are
built of adobe-sun dried brick-plastered
within and without with mud and rooted
mainly with red tiles 4 couple of coats
of whitewaSh in lieu Of psint. Complete
the dwelling The poorer classes, who
form the greater portion of The popuIatiop
live in houses of hslnboo over which a
net work OF cane is woven. plastered On
all sides with mud and rooted with ham
boo or straw Lima Possesses bur two
stone buildings flour mill and the pepi-
tentiary 4 few of the fine adobe resi-
dences of the aristocracy are however.
fronted with marble and encircled with
wooden balconies and those of the foreign
residents are, i'll n few instances built of
kiln burnt hrick-a few being composed
of timber. But I.ima's archwsys her
aqueducts, her palace her cathedrals. her
business blocks and public buildings arc
constructed almost entirely of mud
grimy unsightly mud ever>w where-a city
of mud The reason of lhis-a feature
common TO all these countries-is the
great scarcity of timber and good stone.
the climate and the frequency of earth
quakes: for which latter reason. the
majority Of the dwellings are but one I
Storied. And it may be IN place to re-
mark here that the lower windows of all /
dwellings and buildings, both public and |
private. in Lima are iron barred-I pre- /
srlme because of the numerous revolu-
tions that occur here SO often. with their
attendant rubberies and bloody street
lights.
Another noticeable feature is the ex-
'reme cleanliness OF the streets and alleys
there is no dirt or refuse to he seen any
where. The Lima board of health, which .
understands its business, has
Efficient aids in its labOrs without which
Il would have hard time in fighting
those diseases that ever infest dirty
tropical cities: these Indispensable helpers
are known in America as 'buzzaris "
and AT all hours OF the day they can be
seen standing on the hOuSetops, their
glossy black feathers Glisteuing in the
'un. or strutting in the streets and by-
ways, searching for refuse and filth.
They are very numerous and increase in
numbers each year, as there is a strict |
aw against harming them
Arriving at length at the entrance Of
he exposition grounds. | al,ghted, and
'aying a paper sole five cents), entered
through the high. iron barred gate.
'ollowing one of the many neat gravel
walks, bordered with flower beds,
or short distance beneath the heavy
oliaSe, | found myself suddenly in the
midst of perfect wilderness of sweet
melting flowers.
The date, the PALM the banana, the
range. the cocoanut-in fact, nearly all
he tropical plants-were here in abun-
lance. Birds Of gay plumage, hidden
mid the thick foliage or circling in the
'almy air, We're making the gardens ring
With their strange noises MONKEYS, with
he concentrated mischief of an American
chool boy, were scampering about upon
II sides. BustS and statues stood in
rominent spots; and arbors and cozy
eats were scattered in cool and shady
laces. Numerous fountains We're flash ,
1g in the sunlight, and flowing from
hem in every direction, keeping every
hing green, were small, clear streams /,
nth mossy and fiowery banks, spanned ,
ere and there by rustic bridges, where
ne could watch the little fishes disporting
in the limpid waters beneath. ,
seemed little Eden, it was so lovely ,
nd fragrant. SO cool and refreshing
Leaving regretfully my shady retreat,
entered the chief building of the four :
nat in which the Lima exposition was
eld in 1872, and the one which is also =,
sed when the annual fair of Peru takes
lace. But the buildings have been
ripped Of almost all their valuables-
ostly by the Chilians when in possess
on of Lima in lSS1-and little of interest
ow remains save a few paintings of